


Kiss From a Rose

by Nefertiti1052 (Succubusphan)



Series: Kiss From a Rose [1]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:26:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25081600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Succubusphan/pseuds/Nefertiti1052
Summary: Phil is a hawker trading from town to town and looking for an adventure, but when he is caught out in a storm, a beautiful stranger becomes his only hope.Updates coming every day until it's finished.
Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Series: Kiss From a Rose [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1826620
Comments: 72
Kudos: 40
Collections: Phandom Reverse Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second fic for this edition of the @phandomreversebang. Thank you to @2easy2hate for creating the amazing art and prompt for this fic and to my lovely beta @lesbiien who helped me and encouraged me a lot during the writing process. I couldn't have made it without you. 
> 
> [Art Link](https://2easy2hate.tumblr.com/post/622821461539913728/hey-guys-i-know-im-not-really-a-dan-and-phil)
> 
> Here's the playlist I created to write this fic: [Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/08TZi4eD31sg5BkT0QO00K?si=qTxaJ7uZQ2GyewQvjqEuRA)

_Europe, 1490 A.D._

Phil woke up and stretched his arms with a yawn; his spine popping with the effort. He sighed, dusted his clothes, and set about gathering the last of his belongings. He was going to miss sleeping in Mrs. Baxter’s stables, if only because of the cats that had cuddled up to him ever since he arrived, helping him keep warm in the increasingly cold nights. 

Having exhausted the trading possibilities in town, there was no other option but to travel south and find a new settlement to spend the winter in. If he hurried, he might even make it before the first snowfall of the season. Such was the life of a young hawker.

After a substantial breakfast, he got some provisions for his journey. Tightening his cloak around his frame, Phil crossed the bridge that would take him to the nearest trade route. He found himself with an important decision. The road split into three paths, each leading him to a different town. Two of them, he had already visited and quite enjoyed, but he was eager for a new adventure. The problem was that he wasn’t sure how long it would take him to get to the next town; he just knew that it was farther away, in a neighbouring kingdom, Blyth. 

He weighed his options, there was nothing for him in the town he was leaving or the two he had already visited. Maybe the third option would provide him with a place he could actually call home and return to every winter. He looked up to the grey sky, noting that a light drizzle had started to fall. He pulled up his hood and followed the path into the unknown. 

The air was cool and humid, turning his breath into a puff of vapour before his very eyes; nothing but the forest sounds and the squelch of his footsteps in the mud to accompany him in this endeavour. 

By nightfall, the drizzle had turned into pouring rain; no amount of clothing could have kept him dry under such circumstances. If he didn’t find shelter soon, he would risk falling ill before he could settle in. Fortunately, he could see smoke in the distance and a faint light; that must be the inn Mrs. Baxter had told him about. He smiled. Luck was always on his side. His family might have left this earth too soon, but they had been watching over him ever since. He would live to see another day.

He walked as fast as he could, trying his best not to slip on the mud. By the time he reached the inn, he could feel the cold seeping into his bones. The door was locked, despite all the signs indicating that travellers were welcome. Phil knocked and waited, he could hear laughter and a good amount of people inside. 

A man cracked the door open and eyed suspiciously. “What do you want? We are full,” he barked.

Phil was taken aback by the tone and the overall disdain in the man’s face. “Sir, please. I’ve been travelling for hours in the rain, I’m on my way to Fordwinshire, I would be gone by the morning. If you have a place, even in your stables, I’ll be no trouble.”

“No, you will not, because you are not staying here. The stables are full already and our most exclusive customers have taken all the rooms, so you are out of luck,” he paused as a loud thunder illuminated the night sky and did the cross sign. “May the Lord keep you,” and with that, he shut the door in Phil’s face. 

Phil pounded on the door desperately. “Sir, _please_!” he yelled, but there was no reply, not even a pause in the laughter inside. “Please,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to the door. 

“Sir,” a small voice said. “The next town is not much farther; you should hurry.”

Phil looked to his side and saw a small boy, maybe 7 years old, his clothes ragged and tattered. He looked a lot like Phil when he was that age. His blue eyes shone with an innocence Phil wished he still had. “Do you think I could make it tonight? I don’t think I can go on for much longer.”

“Yes, that’s where my family lives! You just need to go through the forest,” he grabbed Phil’s hand and walked past the inn. His fingers were strangely icy, Phil noticed. The child pointed towards the northwest and said “That way! Shouldn’t be more than two hours if you hurry.”

The direction seemed correct since the road was slowly taking him that way. “Wouldn’t that be dangerous?” 

“Of course not, I work at the inn and make my way back most days, but today they need me to tend to the guests. They like me!” The boy said bouncing on his heels. 

Phil smiled sadly. “Oh, well, look for me when you go back to town, my name is Phil and I’m a hawker. I might have something to give you in exchange for your assistance.”

“Nice to meet you, Phil Sir; my name is Asmodeus. I hope to see you around town this winter.”

“Thank you for your help.” He pulled his hood up again, “I shall be going now.”

“Goodbye!” said the child, waving his hand. He watched Phil venture into the woods before hiding in the shadows. For a moment his eyes shined red and his lips curled into a smile.

\--

The rain didn’t dwindle one bit during his journey. Phil felt himself growing weaker and weaker with every step; the cold made his teeth clack together and his muscles spasm and tighten, refusing to cooperate. He needed to stop and take cover under a tree to eat something.

He sat below the biggest tree that he could find, its leaves provided some cover from the storm since the wind had subsided and its roots formed a makeshift seat. He removed his outer layers and scrunched the water out of them as quickly as he could before putting them back on. Setting his satchel down and getting his provisions out, Phil drank some water and cold soup; he had half a mind to dunk the stale bread Mrs. Baxter had given him and wolf it down. If it weren’t raining, he could have heated that, but no such luck. He remained there for what seemed like a few hours, shaking and coughing in the haunting dark forest, but before his mind could get the best of him, he decided to continue - even if the rain hadn’t stopped fully.

He gathered his belongings and tried to keep up the pace for the remainder of the trip, but there was no town in sight and he was beginning to panic. He could have sworn that he was walking in circles, every tree looked familiar, every rock, every bush; he was beginning to go mad. Lightning illuminated the night sky and for a moment he thought he saw something - _someone_ standing straight ahead, on the other side of a clearing. A man.

Phil approached him, ready to beg for help but keeping a hand to his belt where he concealed a small dagger for protection; crooks had surprised him before and he wasn’t about to make the same mistake again. “Hello? Sir, please help me. I’m lost and I have nowhere to spend the night,” he asked with a broken sob. “Would you help me, _please?_ ”

The man turned towards him, startled by his presence. “Stay back, don’t come near me.”

“ _Please_ , I’m not dangerous,” he said, putting his hands up but approaching the man slowly. “I just need help. I’ve been walking in the rain all day. Do you live near?”

“I do, but you can’t stay. I’m sorry,” the man replied with a pained face. 

Phil slowly made his way towards him and held onto the other’s cloak, making his hood fall and reveal a beautiful young man, not much older than himself but with a clear upper-class air to him. His eyes looked into Phil’s and for a moment, he could have sworn he saw a red glimmer in them. He took a step back, but as soon as he blinked it was gone. His mind must have been playing tricks on him. He shook his head trying to clear his mind, but that only made the world around him spin. He needed help urgently, he could feel his body slowly abandoning him.

“Sir, I’m begging you! I’m a hawker, you can have anything from my satchel, but please…” Phil couldn’t even finish the sentence before his body gave up; his knees buckled under him, his fingers trailing down the body in front of him, but before he hit the ground, the young man took him in his arms.

It could have been a dream, but Phil felt like his body was being picked up gently and easily, as if he was a dainty maiden, despite the fact that he was a very tall man. 

\--

Phil rolled over with a satisfied sigh; he kept his eyes shut as he tried to remember where he had finally settled down for the night, but his mind came back empty. He finally opened his eyes and looked around; he was occupying a huge bed with silk sheets, heavy velvet curtains, and more pillows than he had seen in his life. He traced the delicate lace trim on one of the pillows with a frown. 

Remembering the young man from the previous night, he sat up briskly and placed a hand on his temple, as the room stirred around him. Phil closed his eyes for a few minutes, and when he finally felt ready to try again, he peeked with one eye first. Feeling a bit more confident that he would be able to exit the bed without falling, he slowly drew the curtains open and observed the room curiously. 

The cold hit his frail body instantly, making him notice that he was wearing nothing but a long shirt and breeches. He shivered and put on the slippers he found nearby. All his possessions were resting neatly on a big wooden table beside the window. The room was alive with rich colours and textures on every surface. Everything looked so nice and clean and big; Phil never thought he would ever be able to afford to stay in a place like this one. 

The door opened without a knock and Phil placed his hands in front of his crotch to protect his modesty as he blushed. An older lady entered carrying a tray packed full of food. She wore a simple skirt and tunic with an apron tied around her waist and her hair tied atop her head. 

“Oh, I see that you are up.” She set the tray on the table and pulled a chair for him, gesturing for him to sit down. “Master Daniel said that he found you shivering like a leaf in the middle of the forest and that you fainted before he could give you any directions on how to get to town. What’s your name, young man?”

“Phil, Phil Lester. I’m a hawker on my way to town to spend the winter.” Phil took the chair and dragged it loudly to sit closer to the table. 

“Nice to meet you. My name is Adelina and I will be tending to your needs. It’s not often that we get visitors in the castle. You were lucky that Master Daniel found you when he did, you could have died out there!”

“I know, Mrs. Adelina, I-”

“None of that, just Adelina.” She smiled at him.

“Adelina,” he smiled. “I wanted a new adventure so I decided to travel to a new town and I've never been to Fordwinshire so I tried to make my way there in one day. I was counting on staying at the inn but I was turned away. They didn’t even allow me to take the stables. I would like to thank your Master, I know he didn’t want to take me in and it was very generous of him to bring me here regardless.”

“They turned you away in that awful storm? That is not very compassionate if you ask me.” She pursed her lips. “Master Daniel will not see you now, he said that he does not wish to be disturbed today but I’m sure he will stop by to speak with you soon. He did ask me if there’s anyone you would like to write to, your family, perhaps?”

Phil lowered his head, causing his long black locks to cover his frown. “No, I’m afraid they are all gone. It’s just me.” 

Adelina laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Oh, poor boy, so young and all alone. I hope you can find a nice girl and start your own family.”

“I don’t think that’s something that I would like. I just want to settle down until I can travel again, maybe find a house to return to, but that’s all.”

“Hmm, you remind me of Master Daniel. He didn’t care for that sort of thing either.”

That sparked Phil’s curiosity. “And now?”

“What do you mean?” She blinked.

“You said he _didn’t_ care for that sort of thing. What changed?”

Adelina laughed and waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, _that_. He still doesn’t care for that. Nothing changed, he just enjoys spending his time alone. Nothing wrong with that.”

“I feel bad for imposing.”

“Worry not, young man. Just make sure you eat as much as you can handle, you look peaky. I’m surprised you haven’t come down with a fever.”

“I do feel a bit unwell but I hope I don’t get sick, I wouldn’t want to be of any trouble.”

“You eat and let me worry about the rest. The privy chamber is through that door. And if you need anything please let me know, I will stop by a few times a day.” She turned on her heels to exit but stopped by the door. “Oh, please take anything you need from the wardrobe, it’s quite chilly at the moment but I will send someone to start a fire for you.”

“Thank you, you are very kind, Adelina.”

“You’re welcome.” She smiled and bowed shortly before exiting and closing the door behind her. 

Phil got up from his chair with a shiver and made his way to the wardrobe. After a quick pass through the items in it, he decided to wrap himself in a red silk and velvet robe. It wasn’t very warm but it was the most suitable item for the task. Phil guessed that being wealthy meant that you didn’t need to wear so many layers of clothing to stay warm inside your own house. 

He tried his best to enjoy the delicious food, but he found that there was only so much his body could handle at the moment. After washing himself quickly, he returned to bed and let fatigue overtake him, red eyes shining in his mind before he dived into a fitful sleep. 

\--

The rest of the day felt like a dream, Phil attempted to get up and take a walk, see if he could be of any help around the castle, but his body wouldn’t respond. Even opening his eyes caused him a great amount of pain, not to mention the frequent coughing fits that made his entire frame shake with the effort. As the day continued its course, Phil started to feel colder and colder, shivering even though he was sweating profusely.

He could only stay awake for minutes at a time. He heard people coming and going throughout the day, barely able to register what was going on. 

On one occasion, he stirred in his sleep, barely cracking his eyes open. He saw Adelina speaking to the man in the forest, Daniel, illuminated only by the fireplace that someone must have lit for him at some point. 

Daniel frowned and glanced briefly at Phil’s general direction. “Do you think he’ll live?”

“I believe he will. He is a strong young man.”

Daniel looked into the fireplace with concern. “I shouldn’t have brought him here. He’s not safe, I-”

Adelina placed a hand on his arm. “Daniel, you did the right thing. He would have died in the storm, or worse.”

Daniel swallowed thick. “He doesn’t look well, we should send Colin to fetch the doctor. _Now_.”

“It’s too dangerous, in the dark he could get lost -” she said worriedly.

“He’ll take the carriage. The horses will lead him; he can take Leopold.”

“Very well, your grace. I will wake him up right away.”

“Adelina…”

“Your grace?”

Daniel reached out to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t call me that,” he said softly, “you are but a mother to me,” he smiled. “Thank you for taking care of him and for taking care of me. You are the only family I have left.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead softly.

Adelina sniffled and cleared her throat with tear filled eyes. “Of course. You will have me until my last day. Now, you should get some rest before your… dinner.” She patted his arm gently.

Daniel sighed sadly. “Alright. Please let me know what the doctor says.” He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek before exiting, his cape flowing behind him.

Phil hated doctors, the last time one had visited his household…. He didn’t want to think about that. At least, if he did perish he would be able to join his family. No, he had _promised_ , he had promised his mother. He needed to keep going as long as he could. With that lingering thought, the darkness claimed him once more.

When he finally woke up, he couldn’t help but notice that he felt better; not completely healed, but well enough to remain awake for a few hours at a time. To his surprise, he realized someone had given him a bath and changed his entire bedding. He tried not to imagine Adelina giving him a bath, but he failed miserably. The door opened with a bang, causing him to cover himself with the blankets up to his hair in a futile attempt to pretend he was still asleep.

Adelina laughed loudly. “I can see that you are awake at last. How are you feeling?”

Phil grabbed onto the edge of the covers and pulled them down slowly until only his eyes and black hair were visible. “A bit better, thank you.”

“The doctor was adamant that you rest and eat well for as many days as you need. I’ve brought you warm soup and bread along with some mead,” she said, approaching the bed with the tray. “You should have this in bed; I’ll add more wood to the fire.”

Phil sat up and took the tray from her hands, placing it on his lap. “Adelina, thank you. You are very kind.”

“Nonsense. Now, make sure you eat but do so slowly; you have been out for three days.”

“Three days? Oh, no. What did the doctor say?”

“He said you were very lucky Master Daniel brought you here; you are young and strong but you shouldn’t travel by foot in the middle of a storm. You had a very nasty fever.”

Phil swallowed thick. “When will I see your Master?”

“I’m sure he will see you soon. But do not worry about that, you still have a long way ahead of you, so you need to focus on healing.”

Phil nodded and put all of his energy on trying to ingest as much food as possible at a slow pace. He briefly wondered if he should thank Adelina for giving him a bath but he dared not mention it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates coming every day until it's completed. 
> 
> Comments and Kudos will be greatly appreciated! I don't usually write slow burns so please let me know what you think. I'm trying to challenge myself with my new projects.
> 
> I posted an entire accidental marriage fic this week and you can read it here: [Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24937489/chapters/60357082)
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr: [Succubusphan](http://Succubusphan.tumblr.com/)
> 
> In case you wish to reblog the fic: [Tumblr Link](https://succubusphan.tumblr.com/post/622820376118984704/kiss-from-a-rose-chapter-1)
> 
> Here's the playlist I created to write this fic: [Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/08TZi4eD31sg5BkT0QO00K?si=qTxaJ7uZQ2GyewQvjqEuRA)
> 
> There will be an E rated timestamp alongside one of the chapters, but if you only read from this fic you won't miss out on any information. I just need to keep this fic Pg-13.


	2. Chapter 2

_Daniel cursed his luck as he kicked open one of the secret entrances to the castle. He entered carrying the unconscious man from the forest; water dripping swiftly down both their bodies._

_Adelina came rushing down to see what was happening. “Master,” she gasped. “What happened?”_

_Daniel set the man down on the nearest table and checked his pulse. “This man. He was out in the woods, he was looking for shelter and asked for my help. I- I tried to say no, but he fainted.”_

_“Is he alive? He looks so pale,” she said bringing her candle closer to the man’s face._

_“He is, but I should put him in one of the rooms, he is very cold.”_

_“Of course! Your old room is ready if you wish to put him there.”_

_Daniel looked conflicted for a moment, but he nodded. There was no time to waste._

_\--_

_The following days, Daniel denied the man’s requests for a meeting, but Adelina had kept him informed of everything she learned about him. It wasn’t much, but now he could put a name to his face. Phil Lester, a hawker with no place to call home or a family to keep him company._

_Although they led very different lives, Daniel’s mind often kept wandering back to Phil and the similarities they shared. Daniel had lost his family too, and he had once loved travelling for extended periods of time, but that was no more. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for Phil as much as he felt sorry for himself and the life he could no longer enjoy._

_Daniel found himself walking towards the area of the castle he had assigned to accommodate Phil. The man had been in and out of consciousness for a day, causing Daniel to fall prey to horrible memories of his parents’ illness. He didn’t want to see the man succumbing to a fever just because he hadn’t been able to find a kind soul to help him. He felt responsible for Phil’s fate, he would see that he made a full recovery._

_He approached Phil’s bed slowly, candle in hand, and gently pulled the curtains back to inspect him. The covers were down to his waist, the long shirt they had put him in was drenched in sweat and clung to his body, beads of perspiration adorned his forehead making his black hair adhere to the skin. What worried Daniel the most was the red tinge to his cheeks and the laboured breaths Phil was letting out._

_He was so engrossed in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice Adelina standing behind him until she spoke. “I thought you didn’t want to see him,” said Adelina._

_He almost dropped the candle on Phil’s bed, fortunately, he was able to steady his hand before it was too late. “I don’t. I’m just worried about him.” Daniel frowned and glanced briefly towards the bed. “Do you think he’ll live?”_

_“I believe he will. He is a strong young man.”_

_Dan nodded. After asking Adelina to make sure Colin went to get the doctor, he returned to his bedroom. Maybe he could play the piano for a while before going to bed. He returned to his bedroom and closed the door._

_Removing his cape and gloves, he set a candelabra on the dressing table beside him and took a seat, letting his fingers dance over the keys on their own accord; the calming sounds of sweet notes echoed within the castle walls._

_Daniel hadn’t thought going for a walk in the moonlight would have caused such a succession of events, but it hadn’t been the first time that his nightly wanderings had brought consequences. This time he would be more careful; this time he would make it out unscathed._

\-- 

Merely a week after the Master of the castle had carried him in, Phil’s health started to show great improvement. He was able to manage with a few naps during the day, but he still slept most of the night. 

If he was to be honest, the only thing keeping him from fully resting was the mysterious young man from the woods. Phil dreamt about him almost every night; sometimes he could see his face in the moonlight, sometimes he thought he could see him in his bedroom in the middle of the night, lurking, watching him; red shining eyes roaming all over his body.

It didn’t occur to him that his dreams might’ve been partially fueled by reality; at least not until he heard them. 

It took all his will power not to flinch as the curtains around his bed parted slightly and a light shined above his face. It was so bright that he could still see it with his eyes closed. He kept his breathing even and his body relaxed.

“Master Daniel, you shouldn’t be here,” Adelina whispered.

“I just want to make sure that he is getting better. He looks so pale still.”

“I believe that’s just his usual colour. A smidge paler, perhaps.”

“Has he been eating? Do you think he could be moved soon?” Daniel asked, his tone betraying a certain urgency in the matter.

“Not for another week at least. We could risk him falling ill again just when he is almost out of the waters.”

Daniel merely hummed.

“Wouldn’t it- wouldn’t it be easier if he just stayed… for the winter. There is quite a bit of space to accommodate him after all.”

“No, no,” he whispered. “That wouldn’t be safe for him. He needs to leave, as soon as he can. I will find a place near here…”

“I do believe the world outside the castle walls is far more dangerous than inside, wouldn’t you say?”

“Of course you would say that, my sweet Adelina. Thank you, but it’s no use. He can not stay here.” 

“Very well, Master. You should leave him to rest then; if you really think that he is in danger.”

Daniel paused for a moment. “Right. I shall be going. Good night.”

“Good night.”

The light left the room and so did Adelina after she had pulled the covers up to Phil’s neck. Phil tried to keep his heart from breaking at the memory of his mother doing the same, but he didn’t manage to. He sighed deeply; he really wanted to thank the man who had saved him, but Daniel had refused to meet him every single time he’d asked. 

The fact that Daniel seemed to be greatly inconvenienced by his presence in the castle only made Phil feel worse. He decided that he couldn’t do much about it at the moment since he had been told to remain in bed for as long as possible and he had no clear indication on how to find Daniel either. He rolled on his side and tried to fall asleep but he could not, for the faint sound of a piano called to him in the night. 

He tossed and turned, trying to decide if it was merely his imagination, but the sound persisted. Tired of staying within four walls and dying with curiosity, Phil put on the slippers and wrapped the red velvet robe tightly around his body and, guiding himself with a hand to the wall, he slowly made his way in the castle.

There were no torches or candles lit along the way, but his careful pace aided him in finding what he was looking for. 

It took him some time to identify the exact direction from which the sound came since the walls of the castle made the music echo all around. When the hand to the wall felt velvet banners instead of rock, he assumed he was marching in the right direction. His suspicions were confirmed when after a sharp turn down a hallway, he saw the faint glimmer of the moonlight emerging from one of the rooms and heard the music resonating much louder.

Trying his best to keep silent, he made his way up toward the light source; a tall wooden door, much like the one in his room, that was ajar. Phil leaned in just a little bit, trying to see the piano player. His mouth hung low when he saw the image of what he would have described as an angel if he’d been asked. 

White lace shirt, brown soft curls, plush lips, skin pale as marble; Daniel sat behind the piano, illuminated only by the moonlight, letting his delicate fingers adorn the night with heavenly yet melancholic music. He looked so beautiful, almost glowing, but sad nonetheless. Phil’s breath caught in his throat at the sight; he felt powerless to leave. Instead, he pushed the door open and entered the room.

The creaking door finally caught Daniel’s attention. He let all of his fingers fall on the keys at once, producing an unsettling sound. He turned toward Phil, who stood rooted in the spot, and after regarding him for a moment, he made a hand gesture indicating that he should enter. 

“Come in, please,” Daniel said. “Take a seat,” he pointed towards the enormous bed across the room.

“Thank you, Master?” Phil said awkwardly.

Daniel let out a shocked laugh. “You don’t need to call me that, you don’t work for me.” 

Phil blushed. “I’m sorry, Sir.”

“Please, call me Daniel,” he smiled. “I believe that I am much too young to be called Sir.”

“Ok, Daniel.” Phil looked around the room curiously, noticing that there were many candelabras laying around various furniture, but Daniel apparently preferred the company of the moonlight alone. The only window was almost as tall as the room itself, it has very thick velvet curtains but they are tied at the sides. The sheer size of it made it so that the light permeating in was enough to illuminate the bedroom fairly well.

Daniel cleared his throat, finally pulling Phil from his musings. “What brings you to this side of the castle, Phil?”

Phil was shocked by how easily his name rolled out of Daniel’s lips, but he composed himself enough for a hurried answer. “I- I wanted to thank you, for helping me. I’ve wanted to speak with you since you brought me in, but Adelina said that you were busy.” That was a lie, he knew that Daniel was avoiding him for undisclosed reasons, but Phil wasn’t going to tell him that he’d been eavesdropping. Could be it eavesdropping if it was his own bedroom and they knew he was there? He shook his head and blinked realizing he had no idea what Daniel had said. “Pardon?”

“I was saying that you needn’t bother. I was not going to let you die in the storm. Although I must admit, I was quite shocked to see anyone wandering through the forest in the dead of night. That was very reckless of you.”

Phil sighed, trying not to roll his eyes; he knew Daniel was right. “Well… I’m travelling to find a place where I can spend this winter. I have visited the closest two towns before and, while they were acceptable, they didn’t have anything remarkable; so I chose Fordwinshire which was only a bit further away - or so I thought,” he huffed, remembering the tortuous journey. “Then, I was caught out in the storm and I _did_ eventually make it to the inn, but they turned me away. They said they had special guests using the rooms, and everyone else slept in the stables.”

“Oh, that’s incredibly cruel. I doubt that at this time of year they would have a full house.”

“Yes, I thought it was weird as well. Fortunately, someone said if I walked through the forest I could get to town faster.”

Daniel frowned. “Phil, I’m afraid that the forest is not safe, especially at night. Whoever told you that wasn’t your friend.”

Phil pursed his lips. He knew it had been a stupid idea but he’d been a fool, powered by the eagerness to find a warm shelter. “Well, I found you, so perhaps they were. You saved me after all.”

Daniel gave him a small smile, and for a moment Phil thought that he was blushing, but it was hard to tell from where he sat. 

“I just helped you, as any decent person would have done.” He waved his hand dismissively. 

“Not everyone would have been so kind. You fetched me a doctor as well! Even when you said that I couldn’t stay with you, you saw me in need and you took me in. That is the reason I was requesting to speak with you; to thank you for being so kind and generous with me. I didn’t think such good people existed, but I was proven wrong.”

Daniel thought for a moment. “Have you really not met anyone who was nice to you in your entire life?” 

Phil looked to the window for a moment and sighed. “I have met people who were nice enough, they gave me a bit of stale bread or let me in for a night, but nobody had gone to such lengths for me since…”

“Since?”

“Since my parents. They have passed away, sadly.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Mine have too,” he sighed. “That’s why I rule alone in this enormous castle. I haven’t felt like bringing new people ever since they perished.”

“How long has it been?”

Daniel pressed his lips into a line. “Four years this winter.”

Phil nodded. “Twelve years for me. Eleven since my older brother died, too. For a year, he took care of me as best as he could, but eventually, the plague took him.”

Daniel closed his eyes for a moment, letting his head hang. He had heard about the plague but he had never met a survivor. He hurt for Phil, he didn’t look a day older than twenty two. “My parents died of a fever they contracted on a trip to Aerlynn.” He added, he didn’t usually talk about his parents, but he felt that he could talk to Phil. “It must have been horrible to grow without your family.”

“Yes, it was. But my family made sure that I knew everything I needed to know about the trade, about bad people, trust, as well as teaching me to read and write.” Phil was proud of his family and how much they had nurtured him for as little as he’d had them. 

Daniel blinked in shock. “They taught you to read and write? That’s incredible. Most people in my kingdom don’t know.”

“Well, they just need someone to teach them, don’t you think? Why has nobody done that?” Phil asked curiously. 

Daniel was ashamed to admit it. “I - I never thought about it. I grew up knowing that most people just can not read and it didn’t occur to me to challenge that notion, until now.”

Phil shook his head. “Everyone deserves to learn. It’s very useful. How would you go about it? Helping people learn?”

Daniel blinked repeatedly. “I guess, I would hire people for that task; remind me to make a proclamation about it, please.”

“A proclamation? Are you a prince?” Phil laughed, finding the notion humorous 

“I was, now I am the king since my parents perished.” 

Phil stiffened. He was sitting on the King’s bed, in his room, talking to him in the middle of the night as if they were long lost friends. Never could have he imagined such a thing. He jumped from the bed briskly, ready to take a bow, but Daniel rushed from his seat and held both of his hands. 

“Your g-”

“No, please,” Daniel begged with sad eyes. “Do not speak to me like everyone else does. Treat me like a friend. I need someone who makes me feel normal. Would you do that please, Phil?”

Phil looked into those warm brown eyes and smiled shyly. “Of course, Daniel.”

The birds outside started waking slowly as the two friends conversed, announcing the impending arrival of the sunrise. 

“I believe it’s almost day time. You should go back to your room, and rest.” Daniel said as he walked to the window and quickly closed the curtains; the room was immediately left in complete darkness.

“Ok,” Phil said, trying to sound confident. 

“Do you think you can find your way? It’s the same floor, so don’t use any stairs, unless it’s the one with the serpent banners, that one you can take for a shorter route if you follow the horse banners you should be able to find it from there.”

Phil tried to process the information. ‘No stairs, unless serpents and then horse.’ He nodded.

“Thank you for keeping me company, please make sure you rest well. I will see you today at dinner if that’s agreeable with you.”

“Of course. I will see you at dinner,” he smiled. “Daniel.” 

It took Phil some time to find his room, but when he finally got into bed, he was unable to sleep. His mind kept going back to how sad Daniel looked while playing the piano. The music he created sounded beautiful, yes, but it carried a great amount of weight, it reminded him of grief. 

After only a few hours of sleep, Phil tried to return to visit Daniel, but a man caught him and asked him to return to his own chambers. He reminded Phil that the doctor had said it was very important that he rested. 

Phil did as he was told and stayed in bed, taking advantage of the few books he had in his library until he was called to dinner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates coming every day until it's completed. 
> 
> Comments and Kudos will be greatly appreciated! I don't usually write slow burns so please let me know what you think. I'm trying to challenge myself with my new projects.
> 
> I posted an entire accidental marriage fic this week and you can read it here: [Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24937489/chapters/60357082)
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr: [Succubusphan](http://Succubusphan.tumblr.com/)
> 
> In case you wish to reblog the fic: [Tumblr Link](https://succubusphan.tumblr.com/post/622910292778713088/kiss-from-a-rose-chapter-2)
> 
> Here's the playlist I created to write this fic: [Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/08TZi4eD31sg5BkT0QO00K?si=qTxaJ7uZQ2GyewQvjqEuRA)
> 
> There will be an E rated timestamp alongside one of the chapters, but if you only read from this fic you won't miss out on any information. I just need to keep this fic Pg-13.


	3. Chapter 3

Adelina stopped by to inform Phil that he was invited to dinner with Daniel and to use any clothes found in the wardrobe if he chose to accept the invitation. 

It just occurred to Phil that the man he was soon to have dinner with was a King and that he should probably dress appropriately. After all, Daniel seemed to care about his appearance a great deal, even if he was staying in the castle. 

“Adelina, I know you must be busy with … everything, but do you think you have a bit of time to help me choose what to wear. I’m afraid I haven’t attended many important dinners.”

Adelina smiled adoringly and nodded. She opened the wardrobe and hummed as she went through what was available. Not five minutes later, she had pulled out a pair of black leather trousers, a white lace shirt, black leather boots and a delicate red velvet cape with gold trimming. 

“I think these would look good on you.” She winked. “Anything else?” 

“No, thank you for your help.”

“It was no problem at all, dear. I’m glad that you and Daniel are getting to know each other,” she smiled.

Phil blinked. “Oh.”

“He told me that you stopped to visit him last night. That was very kind of you; he needs someone to talk to.”

Phil smiled at that. “It was very nice speaking to him. We have some things in common.”

“He did mention that,” said Adelina as she picked Phil’s laundry. “Well, I shall be going now. Enjoy dinner.”

“Thank you.” Phil sighed and went about getting ready.

\--

Phil put a the long gold necklace with a black pendant, it had the outline of a rose carved and filled with gold as well; he’d had it for three years and refused to sell it to anyone or to wear it since it was his favourite, but this time it felt right. It reminded him of Daniel. 

He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled. He looked handsome, still a bit too pale, but he felt confident in these clothes. He cocked his head as he examined each garment. Come to think of it, he didn’t look that different from Daniel. He blushed as he traced the lace on the cuffs in his shirt wondering if it was actually his. 

There was a knock on his door, Phil opened it and was shocked to see Daniel standing there. 

“Hello, are you ready?” Daniel smiled. 

Phil moved his lips but no words came out. Daniel looked… incredible. 

The King smirked and quirked an eyebrow at him. 

Phil cleared his throat. “Yes, sorry. I thought Adelina would let me know when to go down to dinner.” The look Daniel gave him was not lost in him, he lowered his head to hide to blush rushing to his cheeks.

“Usually that would have been the case, but since she was helping Agatha with dinner, I decided to not make her walk all the way here. She does so much already.” Daniel smiled and gestured Phil to follow him. 

Phil closed the door behind him and followed Daniel. “That was nice of you. I haven’t heard of many wealthy people helping their workers.”

“It wasn’t such a hard thing to do, and the people living in the castle, they are all more like family to me than workers; especially Adelina.”

“She is a very kind woman.”

“She is,” he smiled. “She still mothers me a lot, even though I am a grown man.”

“I think that’s nice. She has more experience in life after all and she is old enough to be your mother.”

Daniel laughed and shook his head. “Don’t let her hear you imply that she is old, she will not take it lightly.”

Phil spluttered. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know, but still.” 

They made their way down a grand set of stairs. The dining room was softly lit by a chandelier above the main table, even though there were many candelabras set in columns all around and even some brass lamps, none of them were lit tonight. There was a good amount of food set just for the two of them towards one end of the table and only two more candles between them, creating a subtle glow that made Daniel look even more beautiful. 

Daniel walked to the side of the table pulling a chair out for Phil and took a seat at the head of the table. Adelina stopped by briefly to serve but then retired into the kitchen. When Phil asked about her joining them, Daniel said that the workers of the castle had decided to leave them alone to talk, but they usually did eat in the dining room with him. 

Daniel cleared his throat. “So, Phil. Tell me more about yourself, please.”

“What would you like to know?” Phil pushed his food around the plate.

“Well, since your life seems to be determined by being a hawker, tell me how you came to become one.”

“It was my father’s trade; he told Martyn and me all about it. He used to bring us small presents from other kingdoms every winter,” Phil said with a small smile

“That sounds very nice.”

Phil’s smile was tinged by sadness. “It was, thank you.”

“Um, so…” Daniel hesitated. 

“Oh, right. Well, after Martyn passed, I didn’t wait until they came to take me to an orphanage. I took everything my father had left, his satchel, his boots, even his cloaks, and I left. It was hard at first, but considering the circumstances, I think I did fairly well for myself.” 

Daniel frowned, thinking about the lonely childhood Phil had to go through while he spent most of his life in a castle, surrounded by people who loved him. It was very unfair, but Phil had managed to grow up to be an incredibly empathic and smart person despite his disadvantages. Daniel found that so very interesting about him.“Did you ever think to settle down in a place, to have a home to return to?”

Phil shook his head. “I have thought about it, but since I don’t have anyone to stay in my home when I travel, that would be quite hard. I’m sure I would be returning to an occupied house.”

“Right. Yes, that makes sense. So, you never found anyone that you wanted to form a family with.” It was more of an affirmation than a question.

“No. Adelina already asked me if I had settled down with a girl, but…” Phil hesitated. “I’m not interested in that.”

Daniel took a bite of his dinner and hummed. “Yes, I understand that fully. It’s the same for me. She is adamant that I should marry, but,” Daniel scrunched his nose up causing Phil to laugh.

“What about you, Daniel? What can you tell me about yourself?” Phil’s smile did nothing to hide a hint of challenge in his voice.

“Hmm, I am twenty two years old, I am unwed which is considered _tragic_ for a king. People discuss the fact that I am unwed frequently, either in my presence or behind my back. One of my favourite activities was travelling, but since I am in charge of the kingdom and I don’t trust anyone to run it for me, I can’t continue with that. I wouldn’t want to go see the world and return to my subjects dying of starvation or some other problem.”

Phil hummed. “That’s a big responsibility.”

“It is, so I just don’t think about it. I make the decisions necessary to make sure that people can live as comfortably as possible, but I don’t think about the amount of responsibility I have on my shoulders. That would cause me to lose my mind.”

“Are you really going to make sure that everyone can learn to read?”

“Of course, and I would like to hear anything else that you might suggest needs changing. My workers tend to avoid mentioning my failings. Even if we are very close, they are unable to forget that I’m the king.” Daniel shook his head. “I guess that since I don’t live in the same circumstances, I fail to notice certain things.”

“I would need to know more about how people live in this kingdom, but once I have the information, I’d be happy to help.” Phil smiled shyly, unable to contain the pride he felt about Daniel considering his suggestions. 

Daniel placed his hand on Phil’s briefly before continuing with his meal. “Thank you,” he smiled. 

They exchanged stories about their travelling adventures for the remainder of the meal before Daniel invited Phil to his bedroom for some tea. He only accepted under the condition that Daniel would play the piano for him. 

The young men laughed and conversed until almost sunrise, but once again, Daniel closed all the curtains and asked him to leave with a sad expression upon his face. 

Phil made his way back to his bedroom, feeling pleased with how the night had gone but with the nagging feeling that Daniel was hiding something; the question was _what_.

Each night that week, they found time to share dinner or a conversation about their past or their dreams for the future, and for a brief moment, Phil felt happy. Happy that he had finally made a friend, that he had someone to talk to. With Daniel he felt content.

All his joy evaporated by the weekend when the doctor came for a final check-in and declared him in good enough health to leave. That very night, Daniel informed Phil that he had gotten a cabin built for him in Fulkham, the next town over, just half a day’s walk from the castle. 

Phil felt absolutely heartbroken. Daniel was getting rid of him as soon as he got the chance. He had been waiting for this moment all along. Phil couldn’t help but feel stupid. Of course, a king wouldn’t want to befriend a commoner or keep him in his castle. What hurt the most was that having the power to place Phil wherever he wanted, he’d sent him away. Fordwinshire was only four hours away by foot, but he’d sent Phil to a town twelve hours away. It was a clear indication that he didn’t wish Phil to visit either. 

He didn’t want to be ungrateful, a house was a house wherever it was and Daniel had given him one, so he smiled and thanked him for it. If Daniel didn’t want him near, then Phil had no choice but to leave.

The following morning he gathered all of his things, left a note, a variety of spices and a ring for Adelina, and made his way to the main entrance of the castle. A carriage was already waiting for him and Daniel stood by the door with a thick cloak in his hands. 

To show his appreciation for the care and attention Daniel had procured him, Phil stopped short before him and removed the black rose pendant from his neck slowly. “This is for you to remember me by. Thank you for helping me when I needed it the most.”

Daniel lowered his head letting Phil put the necklace on him. He grasped the pendant and observed it curiously. “You didn’t need to give me anything. It was no trouble at all.”

“Please, let me give you this. It’s the least I can do.”

Daniel smiled sadly. “Thank you, it’s beautiful.”

“It is. It reminded me of you.” 

Daniel’s smile widened as he stared into Phil’s eyes. “I’ll treasure it forever.” 

Phil took one last look at Daniel and made a small bow before getting into the carriage that would take him away from the one person he had made a connection with in years. 

As the horses trotted away from the castle, the first snowfall of the season finally came. 

\--

The carriage had not yet exited the outer castle walls when the storm hit in full. A sudden gust of wind rushed through the gates, carrying an increasing amount of snow making the horses buck and Mr. Colin pull the reins taut in a futile attempt at keeping the animals under control. 

Phil stayed inside the carriage as Mr. Colin had asked him to, but he was getting increasingly worried. He didn’t think they would be able to continue in the storm. His heart almost jumped out of his chest when the door suddenly burst open, he reached for the handle to close it but a pale hand caught his wrist; it was Daniel mounting one of the horses from the carriage.

He yelled at Phil, trying to make his voice louder than the storm. “Come, you won’t make it today.” 

The white horse looked increasingly nervous which terrified Phil, but he didn’t want to put them in more danger, so he stepped from the ledge of the carriage and straight onto the horse and held onto Daniel for dear life. 

Not ten minutes later, the three men and both horses were back and safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates coming every day until it's completed. 
> 
> Comments and Kudos will be greatly appreciated! I don't usually write slow burns so please let me know what you think. I'm trying to challenge myself with my new projects.
> 
> I posted an entire accidental marriage fic last week and you can read it here: [Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24937489/chapters/60357082)
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr: [Succubusphan](http://Succubusphan.tumblr.com/)
> 
> In case you wish to reblog the fic: [Tumblr Link](https://succubusphan.tumblr.com/post/622998329460178944/kiss-from-a-rose-chapter-3)
> 
> Here's the playlist I created to write this fic: [Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/08TZi4eD31sg5BkT0QO00K?si=qTxaJ7uZQ2GyewQvjqEuRA)
> 
> There will be an E rated timestamp alongside one of the chapters, but if you only read from this fic you won't miss out on any information. I just need to keep this fic Pg-13.


	4. Chapter 4

Adelina welcomed Phil back with a hug and led him to his room with a tray of hot tea and scones. She attempted to return the gifts Phil had left for her, but he refused to take them back, which gained him another hug. 

Phil was left with the impression that she was happy he hadn’t been able to leave and that warmed his heart. 

It was a few hours later when a restless Daniel came to visit Phil. It was clear that he was not happy with the situation. He sat on one of the chairs by the table but remained silent, with a lost look upon his face, the moonlight shining through the window giving his skin an angelic glow. 

Phil stood by the chimney trying to keep warm and remained silent, waiting to be addressed. 

Daniel ran his fingers through his curls and finally spoke. “You’ll have to stay for the winter. The storm is still active and it shows no sign of stopping soon; the snow is too deep for the carriage or the horses to navigate through,” he sighed as he looked out the window. “The winters become way too crude to make long journeys once the first snow storm arrives, I’m afraid. It would be way too dangerous to let you go at this point.”

Phil sat at the edge of the bed. “Daniel,” Phil said tentatively, trying to get his attention. “I’m sorry.”

“Hmm?” Daniel blinked. “Why?”

“I’m sorry for imposing. I’ve clearly overstayed my welcome and caused a great deal of distress to you,” Phil said, looking down at his hands. 

The king rushed to Phil and dropped to his knees in front of him. “No, no. Of course not. Your company has been like a ray of hope in the darkness that is my life, Phil. I could never think of you as bothersome.”

“Then why did you want to send me away?” Phil attempted to hide the hurt in his voice but he wasn’t successful. 

“I was afraid that this would happen. That you would be stuck in the castle… with me.” Daniel looked down, trying to keep his distress from Phil.

“Would that be so horrible?” Phil asked tentatively. 

Daniel looked into Phil’s eyes with a frown. “It would, for I am terrified of hurting you, Phil. I am dangerous, so I wanted to protect you by sending you away.”

“Daniel, I don’t know what you are afraid of, but I know that you are a good man with a kind heart. I know that you would never hurt me,” Phil said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Daniel pressed his face into Phil’s knees. “You don’t know that.” He looked up into Phil’s eyes but soon shut them as the first tear started to fall. 

“I do.” Phil cupped his cheek, wiping it away gently with his thumb. Daniel leaned into the touch with a pained look, placing his own hand on Phil’s.

In the blink of an eye, the spell was broken. Daniel excused himself and left briskly, only throwing one last look above his shoulder. “Good night, my friend.”

“Good night,” Phil whispered.

Phil couldn’t help but notice how cold Dan’s skin had felt to the touch even in the warmth of the chimney. 

He got into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin trying to get comfortable. He found that he couldn’t sleep, lost in thought about his conversation with Daniel. It was hours later that he was lulled to sleep by the melancholic piano music echoing through the castle; his dreams riddled with demonic horses and heroic angels in a blizzard.

\--

Phil woke up with a start the following morning. The breakfast left on the table was still hot, which indicated Adelina had been there only moments ago; the sun was still rising. He sighed in exhaustion. His entire body felt sore after a fitful night of sleep and his mind kept supplying strange images from his dreams. 

Feeling unable to fall asleep once more, Phil approached the table to fetch the tray and hurried back under the covers. Cursing himself, he realized that it would’ve been smart to get a new book from the case as well, so he grudgingly climbed back out of bed to search for something interesting to read. 

He settled on a dark red book with gold lettering, “King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table,” and spent most of the day reading, trying to keep his mind from wandering back to Daniel. 

Finally, after lunch, Phil decided that he didn’t want to wait any longer to continue with the conversation from the previous night; he didn’t want Daniel to suffer because of him. And for what, he didn’t know. He couldn’t understand why Daniel thought so lowly of himself when he was actually one of the kindest people he had ever met; it didn’t make any sense. All Phil knew was that Daniel seemed to be a tortured soul; even when he laughed, he maintained an aura of sadness about him. It made Phil want to reach for his face and smooth out his frown and warm his sad heart. 

Wrapping himself in the heavy cloak that Daniel had gifted him, Phil made his way towards the King’s bedroom, this time taking the indirect path he usually only used on his way back from their long night conversations.

Phil knocked but there was no response, so he opened the door slowly as he could, trying to be as quiet as possible and was surprised to find the room immersed in complete darkness. He lit one of the candles and approached the bed and opened the curtains around the bed slowly, letting the light shine on Daniel’s sleeping face. He looked incredibly peaceful for a fleeting moment before he jolted awake and shied away from the light, guarding his face with one arm. 

“Daniel, Daniel! Calm down, it’s me,” Phil assured him.

“Phil? What are you doing here?” Daniel blinked, trying to let his eyes adjust to the light. 

“We need to continue with our conversation, please.”

Daniel’s face contorted in what Phil could have only described as contained rage. “No. I do not wish to discuss this any further. I am kindly asking you to leave, please. You are free to roam around the castle, but refrain from barging into my room in the middle of the day.”

Phil blinked repeatedly. He hadn’t expected Daniel to be mad at him, but he had apparently overstepped his boundaries. He merely nodded before Daniel escorted him to the door. There, he took the candle from his hand, set it on the dressing table and got back into bed, shutting the curtains behind him. 

Phil only stepped back inside briefly to blow the candle out. He turned on his heels and left, wondering why the mirror on the dressing table had been covered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates coming every day until it's completed. 
> 
> Comments and Kudos will be greatly appreciated! I don't usually write slow burns so please let me know what you think. I'm trying to challenge myself with my new projects.
> 
> I posted an entire accidental marriage fic last week and you can read it here: [Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24937489/chapters/60357082)
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr: [Succubusphan](http://Succubusphan.tumblr.com/)
> 
> In case you wish to reblog the fic: [Tumblr Link](https://succubusphan.tumblr.com/post/623092082244026368/kiss-from-a-rose-chapter-4)
> 
> Here's the playlist I created to write this fic: [Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/08TZi4eD31sg5BkT0QO00K?si=qTxaJ7uZQ2GyewQvjqEuRA)
> 
> There will be an E rated timestamp alongside one of the chapters, but if you only read from this fic you won't miss out on any information. I just need to keep this fic Pg-13.


	5. Chapter 5

It took Daniel three days to return to Phil. He apologized profusely for his outburst and assured Phil that he wished to continue with their friendship - if Phil was still interested. He admitted that he was ashamed for his behaviour and he wouldn’t fault Phil if he believed his transgressions had been too great for him to be forgiven. 

Phil had accepted his apology even though Daniel resisted his request to continue discussing the reason he had tried to send him away. 

The matter frustrated Phil greatly but he decided that time would aid him in his quest for answers. The more he knew about Daniel, the more fascinating he found him. They were alike in so many ways, yet different in others. Where Phil was an open book, Daniel felt like a walking mystery. 

He was a kind and generous soul, but he did everything from the shadows, never directly intervening in the life of his subjects if it wasn’t through his workers. This contradicted Daniel’s personality in the most evident way. He was eager to form friendships and to help people, never shying away from manual labour, even around the castle, but it seemed as if he lived like a recluse, keeping a safe distance from anyone who didn’t live within the castle walls.

As winter progressed, their nightly talks became more frequent. Sometimes, they wandered around the castle as Daniel told Phil everything about the history of his house and showed him his secret hideaways. They had been caught in the library in the middle of the night by a tired Adelina, but she had merely shaken her head, brought them a cup of tea and gone back to sleep. 

Phil found himself smiling constantly, thinking of their conversations. How Daniel often laughed at his jokes, shaking his head and looking at him in a way that made his heart skip a beat.

Tonight was no exception. Having finished his dinner, he sighed contently and decided to go in search of his friend. As he reached his destination, he remembered Adelina had asked him not to seek Daniel out that night, since he’d said he couldn’t meet him this time. 

Phil stopped in his tracks, unsure whether to continue or not, but seeing the light coming out from the bedroom, he decided to take a chance. 

Before he could say anything, he spotted Daniel, surrounded by lit candelabras. He was leaning into the dressing table, looking into the mirror, his fingers touching his face gently as he cried. Sobs racked through his body, making his entire frame shake as he got closer and closer to the mirror. Daniel let out a pained scream before taking a nearby music box and smashing it.

Startled by Daniel’s state, Phil turned on his heels and left before he could be seen, only one thought weighing on his mind. ‘It couldn’t be, could it?’ He could have sworn that there was no reflection in the mirror. 

\--

The following day had Phil staring into space, unsure about how to proceed; how to ask. 

By now, Phil had come to the conclusion that there was no way to make Daniel talk about something he didn’t want to address, and he didn’t think discussing his theory was going to be an option.

Pursing his lips, he nodded and strode to Daniel’s bedroom. He had made a decision. 

Once again, he entered as quietly as possible; the room was in utter darkness just as it had been that day, but this time, he didn’t light any candles. Instead, he opened a small gap in the curtains around the bed and approached the window, with a heavy sigh, he pulled the curtains swiftly, letting the sunlight in and turned around to see a twitching Daniel roll to the floor behind the bed with a scream. 

“Shut the curtains, shut the curtains!” he asked with urgency. 

But Phil was rooted in place. He hadn’t expected to be right. 

“Please!” Daniel asked with a broken sob. 

That spurred Phil into action closing the curtains before rushing to his friend’s side. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would be true.” He kneeled beside Daniel and tried to help but he couldn’t see. He fetched one of the candelabras and lit it before returning to his place. 

Daniel groaned in pain as he clutched his leg. His trousers were ripped and charred in a single line, exactly the shape of the gap Phil had made in the bed curtains. Beneath it, his flesh looked welted and bloody as if he had been whipped. 

“There’s a bag inside my dressing table. Please, bring it to me. Right drawer,” Daniel pleaded.

Phil did as he was asked and with the contents of said bag, he helped Daniel clean the wound as best as he could. 

“Daniel, please. I need to know everything. If you are really my friend, please trust me enough to talk about this.”

Daniel considered it for a moment, there was no point in trying to avoid the topic now. “Very well, but I can’t look into your eyes when you hear it. If you hated me, it would break my heart. I would not be able to bear it.”

“I won’t run or judge you. Or hurt you… more than I already have,” Phil pleaded, preferring to speak face to face. 

Daniel shook his head and averted his eyes. “Please, grant me this small mercy,” he whispered. 

Phil nodded before helping Daniel back on the bed and pulling a chair for himself. 

After the curtains were drawn once again, Daniel finally opened up about his secret. The entire kingdom had become suspicious of its ruler ever since he stopped the public appearances. His parents and Daniel himself had always been friendly with their subjects, taking an interest in their lives and the troubles they had in order to create a plan of action to address them, but that was no more.

Before Daniel had mysteriously disappeared from social gatherings, balls and jousting tournaments, he had been loved by his people, but now there were only rumours and secrecy about him. It was only a matter of time before revolts started, Daniel knew as much. An absent king was a weak one.

He had only managed to survive and keep his sanity thanks to his workers, who had been with his family since he was a baby. They had sworn secrecy to protect him.

Phil advised him to return to society by holding events during the night. It would settle some of the rumours and it would help him be a better ruler and not feel so lonely and sad, but Daniel didn’t dare face the public alone. 

When Phil asked him why he hadn’t shared his story before, Daniel very quietly admitted that he considered himself a monster nobody should feel pity or care for. 

Phil couldn’t help it. He opened the curtains and climbed onto the bed with Daniel, hugging him and assuring him that he was a good man, he was worthy of love and care.

The king finally broke down and started to cry in Phil’s arms, thanking him for his kind words and for caring about him.

Without giving it so much as a thought, Phil did something he had never done before: he pressed his lips onto another man’s. 

For a moment, it felt as if time had stopped, but then Daniel grasped the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer, responding to the kiss; his lips were cold, but soft and careful. 

They laid side by side kissing and speaking in whispers for hours until they fell asleep with their fingers interlaced. 

For the first time in years, Phil dreamed of a happy future, of forming a family. 

Sadly, it all came crashing down when Daniel woke him up, gently brushing Phil’s hair from his face and asking him to leave. He said that they would never be able to be happy together, that they were too different and that he didn’t want to start something with Phil only to lose him a few years later. 

Phil understood his point of view, he really did. But he also didn’t. What is an eternal life without love or happiness? Wouldn’t the pain be worth the time they would have together? 

For now, he decided to give Daniel the space he required and retreated into his room, after a short stop by the library. Now that he knew what he was looking for, it wasn’t so hard to find.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates coming every day until it's completed. 
> 
> Comments and Kudos will be greatly appreciated! I don't usually write slow burns so please let me know what you think. I'm trying to challenge myself with my new projects.
> 
> I posted an entire accidental marriage fic last week and you can read it here: [Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24937489/chapters/60357082)
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr: [Succubusphan](http://Succubusphan.tumblr.com/)
> 
> In case you wish to reblog the fic: [Tumblr Link](https://succubusphan.tumblr.com/post/623180708974837760/kiss-from-a-rose-chapter-5)
> 
> Here's the playlist I created to write this fic: [Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/08TZi4eD31sg5BkT0QO00K?si=qTxaJ7uZQ2GyewQvjqEuRA)
> 
> There will be an E rated timestamp alongside one of the chapters, but if you only read from this fic you won't miss out on any information. I just need to keep this fic Pg-13.


	6. Chapter 6

Every time there was a knock on the door Phil looked around expecting to see Daniel finally reaching out to him, but after a fortnight without any news, he decided enough was enough. He couldn’t continue living with the constant pain in his heart and in the pit of his stomach. He needed to see Daniel again. 

That night, after the castle had fallen silent, Phil made his way to Daniel’s bedroom accompanied only by a candle, but unlike any other time, the door was not ajar, light was not coming out of it; there was nothing but darkness. He opened the door slowly and entered, trying to be as quiet as possible in the chance that his friend was sleeping. 

The candelabras that had been laying in nearly every piece of furniture were gone, the mirror was still shattered, the pieces scattered all around the dressing table. Phil closed his eyes for a moment, bracing himself to see Daniel once again and address their unresolved issues. With a deep breath, he approached the bed and slowly drew the curtains, lifting the candle to have a better view. 

Empty.

Daniel was not in his bed and what Phil saw only brought him sadness. He placed a hand on his chest for a moment as if it would help mend his broken heart. He reached for the red rose laying in the middle of the bed, beside it the necklace Phil had gifted him laid abandoned. 

Daniel had deserted him.

Tears fell from Phil’s eyes, he pressed a hand to his lips trying to quieten the choked sobs attempting to leave his throat. He felt his heart break into a million pieces, but he was done waiting for Daniel to return his feelings, to let him in. Phil rushed back to his room and packed everything he had brought for the journey. He wrapped himself in the heavy cloak Daniel had given him and took one last look at his surroundings. He would miss Adelina and her morning chatter; he hated to admit it but he would miss Daniel as well, although he knew the feeling would not be mutual. 

He grasped the rose and twirled it between his fingers, he thought about leaving it behind but he couldn’t bring himself to do it, so he secured it to his belt. He left the necklace in the middle of his own bed, since he felt like it didn’t belong to him anymore. Whether Daniel wanted it or not, it was his. 

Phil parted before the sun started to rise, his boots sinking in the snow with each step, his breath coming in white puffs of vapour and his heart in pieces left behind in the castle. He made it to the castle walls by dawn and didn’t meet anyone on his way out. 

He walked and walked for hours, but it seemed like Forwindshire was still far ahead. Too tired to go on, he settled down to eat and rest his legs for an hour before continuing on his journey. By nightfall, he could see his destination finally approaching, merely about an hour away. 

A crunch in the snow behind Phil startled him, but he turned around and saw nothing but snow and a few red petals that had fallen from his rose. He placed his hand on his dagger just in case, and turned on the spot to continue down the road but his mouth hung open in shock at the sight before him.

“Sir, please. H-help,” Asmodeus fell to his knees, blood oozing out of his eyes and mouth. 

“Asmodeus! Child, what happened to you? Who did this?” Phil tried to rush to him but something, _someone_ , caught him by the cloak and lifted him from the ground, his legs unable to find any purchase to escape. 

“Phil! Phil! Stop!” 

Phil frowned and stopped struggling, finally realizing the person holding him back was Daniel. “What?”

Daniel set him down but stood between Phil and the child, placing the torch he was holding in front of them. “Stay away from Phil,” he yelled, his voice filled with rage and disgust. 

“My, my, my,” Asmodeus said with a cruel smile as he stood up once more. “If it isn’t _King_ Daniel,” he bowed theatrically. “You are _nothing_ but a disappointment; you were supposed to kill him. Not _play_ with him.”

Phil gasped in shock, Asmodeus’ sweet personality had evaporated in the blink of an eye, instead there was a dark aura coming out of him in waves, making Phil’s skin crawl. The creature he’d thought to be a child was in fact a beast.

“I do not feed from humans and I never will,” Daniel yelled.

Asmodeus laughed. “Don’t try to pretend like you are better than the rest of us. You will cave eventually, just like everyone else. You can’t change what you are, so it would be best for you to accept it.”

“I will not!”

Asmodeus shrugged. “If you don’t kill him, I will have to do it myself. We can’t have him running around knowing about us.”

“You will have to kill me first!” Daniel shouted.

“Very well,” the child said with a shrug before launching himself onto Daniel, but the king was faster. He threw a small flask of holy water onto his face. Asmodeus twisted in pain, but before he could recover, Daniel buried the torch in his chest, causing the creature to shriek as it burned. In a matter of seconds, he was nothing but a pile of ash. 

Phil shivered and buried his face into Daniel’s chest. He couldn’t help but notice that he was wearing the black rose necklace. With a small smile, he let himself be wrapped in Daniel’s embrace. 

“Phil, we need to go back to the castle; more might be around,” said Daniel, looking all around them for any possible source of danger. Asmodeus usually moved alone, but he had turned many people in an attempt to create his own clan. 

“More?” Phil shook in terror at the prospect. “We will never make it back,” he looked into Daniel’s eyes with unshed tears. 

“We will, I brought Leopold.” The white horse emerged from behind a tree and approached his master.

Not an hour later they were safe back in the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates coming every day until it's completed. 
> 
> Comments and Kudos will be greatly appreciated! I don't usually write slow burns so please let me know what you think. I'm trying to challenge myself with my new projects.
> 
> I posted an entire accidental marriage fic last week and you can read it here: [Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24937489/chapters/60357082)
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr: [Succubusphan](http://Succubusphan.tumblr.com/)
> 
> In case you wish to reblog the fic: [Tumblr Link](https://succubusphan.tumblr.com/post/623271746507800576/kiss-from-a-rose-chapter-6)
> 
> Here's the playlist I created to write this fic: [Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/08TZi4eD31sg5BkT0QO00K?si=qTxaJ7uZQ2GyewQvjqEuRA)
> 
> There will be an E rated timestamp alongside one of the chapters, but if you only read from this fic you won't miss out on any information. I just need to keep this fic Pg-13.


	7. Chapter 7

Daniel pushed the heavy doors open as if they were made out of straw and stormed into the castle with Phil in tow. 

Adelina rushed to them and looked between the two. “What happened?”

Daniel, who had been walking up and down the main hall, stopped short and turned on the spot. “Phil decided to leave the castle alone and almost got himself killed by Asmodeus!” He said with an exasperated huff. 

Adelina blanched. Placing her hand above her heart, she asked: “Asmodeus? _Dear Lord!_ where is he now?” 

“Dead,” Daniel and Phil said in unison. Adelina did the cross sign but let out a sigh of relief. 

“I wouldn’t have left if you hadn’t rejected me and avoided me for _weeks_!” Phil said, raising his voice as well.

Adelina grimaced looking between the two of them briefly. Something needed to be done. “Why don’t you go to have a talk in Phil’s bedroom? I’ll send Mr. Colin to set up the fire and I’ll be up with dinner shortly.”

Daniel threw his hands in the air, but when Adelina gave him a meaningful look, he didn’t dare argue with her. He nodded to Phil before climbing up the stairs that lead to the bedroom.

\--

Daniel took a seat on the edge of the bed while Phil chose to stand by the chimney as Mr. Colin set the fire. 

Once the man had left them alone, Phil crossed his arms and stood closer to the fire, looking directly into Daniel’s eyes but remaining silent. 

“Would you _please_ just take a seat?” Daniel asked in an impatient tone.

Phil raised one eyebrow at him but pulled a chair loudly to the exact place where he had been standing and sat down.

Daniel huffed. “Are you going to ignore me?”

“I have done the opposite of ignoring you. _You_ have been the one avoiding _me_ ,” said Phil, his voice dripping with exasperation. 

“I haven’t,” said Daniel defensively, but then sighed and continued in a much calmer tone. “ _I have_ \- and I’m sorry.” He looked down at his hands in shame. 

Phil took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down as well. “Why?” 

Daniel blinked in confusion. He wasn’t used to people questioning his motives. “Why have I been avoiding you?”

“Yes,” Phil nodded, waiting for a reply. 

“I felt guilty.” Daniel ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. “Guilty that I let myself get that close to you, that I put you in danger.”

“You are not a danger to me.” Phil frowned.

Daniel smiled bitterly. “But I am. You don’t know the kind of monster that I am. How I feel inside, every second of every day of my life.”

“It’s true, I don’t,” Phil admitted. “But I would know if you’d tell me. If you didn’t try to hide from me.”

Daniel sighed sadly. “You don’t understand, Phil. I have never felt this way for another human.”

“Tell me. What do you feel?” Phil whispered, feeling his heart skip a beat. 

“My human part wants nothing but to love you and cherish you, but the monster inside me wants to…” Daniel averted his eyes.

Phil held his breath in anticipation. “Say it, please. I need to hear it.” 

Daniel looked in Phil’s direction. “I feel the urge to tear you apart in every way I can.” His eyes had gone completely black but still shined with a red glimmer, his stare had Phil pinned down on the spot, leaving him breathless. 

Phil felt no fear of him; he wanted nothing but to let the vampire in front of him tear him apart. “What if I wanted that too?” 

Daniel blinked and tore his eyes away from Phil, finally allowing him to breathe. 

“I can’t. I wouldn’t be able to go on knowing that one day I would have to lose you too, like I lost my parents, like I will lose every single person I care about. Please, don’t ask me to give you my heart when you don’t even know who I really am.” 

“Then tell me,” Phil urged him. “Tell me everything. Start from the beginning.” 

Daniel sighed and started to tell his story with a far away look. “Asmodeus turned me; he was my sire. I found him in the forest, asking for help; he was so pale and so cold ... I thought he was dying, so I carried him. Only moments later, he sank his fangs into my neck.” He placed a hand on the side of his neck, as if remembering the pain he’d felt that night. 

“When I finally came to, I was alone in a cave and an entire night and day had passed. I rushed to the castle and had to ask Adelina to let me in, since now I needed to be invited into my own home.” Daniel looked into the fire pensively and paused for a moment before continuing. “For a few days, I tried to stay away from my people, but I couldn’t keep it to myself. I broke down and told Adelina everything. I expected her to call me a demon, to ask me to leave; anything other than what she did.”

“What did she do?” Phil asked.

“She held me as we cried together, mourning a life that would never be, the possibility of a bright future gone forever.” Daniel had told her to leave the castle and never return, that she didn’t need to be by his side anymore, but she said that she would rather die at his side than leave him alone, especially when he needed her the most. He had other workers but she was the only one allowed to see him for more than a few moments at a time.

Daniel had vowed to never hurt Adelina and so far he had managed. He fed only from animals, which had been her suggestion after he’d fainted from starvation for refusing to succumb to his need for blood.

Phil rushed to his side and dropped to his knees beside the bed, lacing their fingers together. “You don’t have to live a lonely life, Daniel. I hope that you know that. You could easily return to society, letting people into the castle for events and seeing to their needs. You wouldn’t have to do it alone.” 

Daniel blinked in confusion. “What are you saying?” 

“What I mean is… I have nobody to live for, no family, no friends, no home to return to, nobody to miss me if I were to just… disappear.” 

“You are crazy. You can’t suggest that - I would never.” Daniel frowned looking down into Phil’s eyes.

“I can and I am. You are the only person I have felt a connection to since my family died; I’ve spent so many years alone, I refuse to go through that again and to let you live a miserable life on your own, shutting everyone out to avoid getting hurt. It’s not fair. Not when we can have _this_.” Phil brought Daniel’s hand to his lips and kissed his fingers. 

“Phil, you don’t know everything it takes to be a vampire, how it feels, what I need to do to survive. It’s an existence I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”

“Then show me, I want to know what you are going through.”

“It’s… not pleasant.” Daniel pursed his lips.

Phil nodded. “I didn’t assume it would be, but I’m ready. I promise not to think any differently of you.”

Daniel sighed, he couldn’t deny that he was tempted by Phil’s offer but he was afraid Phil would regret turning and hate him for it. The least he could do was give him all the information. “Very well. You will join me in my next feed.” All he could hope was that Phil wouldn’t judge him for what he needed to do to survive. 

\--

After dinner they made their way to the stables. Phil tried to keep up with Daniel’s pace but he couldn’t see that well in the dark, which caused him to slip on the icy path. Daniel caught him before he could hit the ground and smiled, offering him his arm as support for the rest of the walk. Phil promptly took the offer, his heart beating faster because of it. 

Daniel opened the door to the stables, the horses startling awake, but settling down once they had seen who it was. They approached Leopold’s stall and he came to say hello, pressing his nose to Daniel’s awaiting hand and rubbing his face on it with a nodding motion. 

“Good boy, Leopold. May I feed from you, my friend?” Daniel asked looking into the horse’s eyes.

Leopold exhaled from his nose and tilted his head away, carefully stepping closer to his master. Daniel looked at Phil nervously, silently pleading, ‘Please, don’t judge me.’ He leaned in and softly sank his fangs into Leopold, keeping his eyes on Phil for a moment, before closing them, his face the perfect representation of ecstasy. Before long, Daniel was licking the wounds closed and thanking his equine friend with a kiss.

He panted for a moment, bracing himself on the wall until he could compose himself.

“So, you can still eat food but you also need blood to survive, is that correct?”

“Yes. I could survive solely on blood, but I’ve noticed that if I eat food, my body needs less of it and this helps me not have such strong...cravings.”

“I see. Is there anything else I should know?” Phil asked wrapping himself up in his cloak a little tighter. 

“You are freezing. Let’s go back inside,” Daniel said softly.

Phil smiled gratefully and led the way.

\--

Once they were back in Phil’s room, Daniel returned to the bed, this time sitting against the headboard, while Phil stood by the fire once more. 

“What else does being a vampire entail?”

Daniel huffed a laugh, Phil didn’t seem to be concerned with the information he had received. “Well, even though you won’t lose your soul, your connection to it will be severed.”

Phil cocked his head. “What does that mean exactly?”

“It feels like…” Daniel stopped to consider his words for a moment. “Like there is a part of you that you don’t have access to anymore. You are not inherently good anymore so you depend on your will to be a good person. It becomes a very conscious decision.”

“It doesn’t sound that much different to how some people are,” Phil said, thinking of the amount of people who solely focused on themselves.

Daniel smiled sadly, Phil wasn’t completely wrong about that. “That’s true, but it differs from it on an emotional level, if you will. As a vampire, I have become more prone to rage as well, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that my inhibitions are gone so there is nothing but my own free will stopping me from succumbing to my urges.”

Phil nodded. “Is that all?”

Daniel frowned. “That’s a great deal, you shouldn’t take it lightly.”

“I took a book from the library, I have been doing some research and I think the benefits outweigh the negative.” Phil pointed to the small book on his bedside table.

Daniel nodded, but he felt the need to make sure Phil understood fully. “There’s also the urge to feed from people, but like the rest of it, it is a matter of will.”

“Do you want to feed from me now?” said Phil, baring his neck and lowering the collar of his shirt. 

“Yes,” said Daniel breathlessly.

“Would it be so bad if you did it?” Phil’s voice dropped.

“Phil, I don’t think I could stop myself.” Daniel averted his eyes. “I could seriously hurt you.”

“I trust you not to hurt me. Have you hurt anyone since you were turned?”

“No, but it hasn’t been easy.”

Phil hummed and let his mind get lost on the possibilities of what he was asking. “So, if you turned me, we could be together.”

Daniel got off the bed and started pacing around the room. “Yes, but what if you decided that you didn’t wish to share your life with me or if you regretted it. There’s the possibility that you would hate me for taking your life away from you. There would be no more walks in the sun, no more trading from town to town -”

Phil shook his head and interrupted him. “I found the beauty in those things because it was the only life I have been able to procure. Don’t you think that if there was a place for me to call home, someone to return to or to share my life with, I would just say no to that? Until I met you, I didn’t think I would be able to have that, but not one day since you came into my life I have thought of leaving. I would stay until you said you didn’t want me anymore.”

“That would never happen,” Daniel whispered, finally standing beside the chimney. Bringing Phil’s hand to his lips and brushing them softly onto his knuckles, he confessed, “I don’t know if I could live with the guilt of taking your life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates coming every day until it's completed. 
> 
> Comments and Kudos will be greatly appreciated! I don't usually write slow burns so please let me know what you think. I'm trying to challenge myself with my new projects.
> 
> I posted an entire accidental marriage fic last week and you can read it here: [Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24937489/chapters/60357082)
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr: [Succubusphan](http://Succubusphan.tumblr.com/)
> 
> In case you wish to reblog the fic: [Tumblr Link](https://succubusphan.tumblr.com/post/623364424811577344/kiss-from-a-rose-chapter-7)
> 
> Here's the playlist I created to write this fic: [Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/08TZi4eD31sg5BkT0QO00K?si=qTxaJ7uZQ2GyewQvjqEuRA)
> 
> There will be an E rated timestamp alongside one of the chapters, but if you only read from this fic you won't miss out on any information. I just need to keep this fic Pg-13.


	8. Chapter 8

Daniel asked Phil for some time to think about it. He had thought it would be only a few hours, but he kept going around in circles with his decision. He worried about Phil, about himself and his ability to keep a stable relationship under the circumstances, about their future; an eternal life was simply too long to make that choice in a rush.

Adelina didn’t know what had happened since their talk, but after having observed them for the past few months, she could see that something was different between them. 

After the second time she had to take Daniel’s meals away cold and untouched, she sat down in one of the chairs in his bedroom, waiting to be addressed. 

It took Daniel a few minutes to notice that she hadn’t left. “What’s the matter?” He asked.

“That’s what I would like to know. I worry about you, my child,” she admitted.

Daniel’s face softened. He took a deep breath and sat on the chair opposite to hers. “Phil,” he sighed. “He’s asked me to turn him into… a v-vampire like me.”

She raised her eyebrows, surprised by the information. “And you don’t think it would be wise.” She knew him enough not to ask.

“No. _I want to_ , and I hate myself for it. I want to keep him for myself, but that’s the monster in me speaking,” he said, averting his eyes.

“Is it? Is it really that bad to let someone love you enough to want to spend the rest of their life with you?”

“It wouldn’t be his life. He would cease to be alive. It would be an eternity of _not_ living.”

“But he would be with you,” she paused. “When you brought him here, you were both barely living. Phil was rolling around from town to town, nobody to love him or care for him, and you hadn’t spoken to anyone in months; you were barely speaking to me. I was worried -” a sob escaped her throat. “I was worried that I was going to lose you, but he breathed life into you and you gave him something to hope for.”

Daniel considered her words carefully. “Do you really think I should do it then?”

“Yes. There are risks, of course, as there are risks in loving anyone, but you have to trust him to keep your heart safe.”

He nodded silently. 

Adelina wiped her tears with a handkerchief and smiled. “To be perfectly honest, it would be a relief for me, knowing that when I’m gone, you won’t be alone. That you will continue.”

He placed his hand on hers. “I promise. I will carry on, mother.” 

Adelina couldn’t keep the tears at bay at the mention of the loving name. She had dedicated her entire life to the royal family, she had helped raise Daniel as if he was her own and in turn, they had treated her like one of the family, given her love, trust, a beautiful house to live in which she never used, and anything she had ever wanted. Perhaps if Daniel and Phil decided to form a family, she could open a house for orphaned children; she had much love to give still. 

She hugged him and made her way to the door, but before she could leave, Daniel said: “You should be brave too. Mr. Colin is still waiting for you. It’s not too late.”

She considered it silently and nodded before closing the door behind herself.

Daniel vowed to tell Phil his final decision the following day and climbed into bed, letting the darkness claim him.

He didn’t know how many hours had since passed when he felt the bed dip beside him. His mind couldn’t quite realize what was happening until he felt a ghosting breath above him and the sweet softness of Phil’s lips on his own. Daniel brought his left hand to the back of Phil’s neck and traced the skin there softly before lacing his fingers in the long black hair and pulling gently. 

Phil gasped and moaned softly. “Daniel, please,” he asked breathlessly.

“Are you sure?” Daniel mumbled against his lips.

“Yes,” Phil groaned. 

Daniel pulled back from the kiss and cleared his throat. “Then sit, I will tell you exactly how it works and what you will feel.” 

Phil groaned but nodded and sat on the bed beside Daniel. 

“I will bite here,” the vampire said, placing a finger on Phil’s pulse point. “It will hurt, but only briefly, then it will feel good.”

“Oh?”

“It’s to… _entice_ the victims.”

Phil blushed. “I see.”

“I will have to take most of your blood, then I will share mine with you. You will have to feed from me as well. The change is different for everyone, it could be minutes or hours. Your body temperature will drop but you won’t be able to feel cold anymore. You will still be able to breathe if you want to, but it won’t be necessary. You will be stronger and faster. You will be able to use your allure on people if you wish to, although it can sometimes slip from you. And you will be extremely hungry.”

“When can we start?” Asked Phil timidly. 

“Now,” said Daniel, kissing Phil’s lips again and starting to unbutton his shirt. 

Phil followed Daniel’s cues and let himself be guided through the process between kissing and biting.

Daniel drank from Phil until his heartbeat nearly stopped and offered him his own blood. Every single nerve on Phil’s body was on fire, he felt like his heart was going to explode.

He opened his eyes, not realizing he had closed them. His irises shined red for a few seconds before his world went black.

When Phil finally woke up everything was dark but he could still see fairly well. Daniel looked at him expectantly, feeling too afraid to speak. 

Phil raised his eyebrows in wonder; he could feel Daniel’s feelings, hear his thoughts, the utter devotion the other had for him. He smiled and leaned in for a kiss. 

That was the first time Daniel called him “My love,” the first of many more. Although their lives had been fairly sad and lonely until they’d met, Dan and Phil had an eternity together to make up for it.

\--

The kingdom of Blyth got his king back and a new era of prosperity was born. Supported by Daniel and his consort Prince, Phil, the subjects got to embark in all kinds of technological endeavours to better their quality of life and their economy rose until they became a driving force in the region, often trading their discoveries with other kingdoms. 

Dame Adelina finally married her long time love, Lord Colin and together helped every family raise their children, providing education and housing when needed. No child went without proper care or love, no family was lost to famine or war. 

On occasion, those who lived in the darkness, feeding from people, would receive a visit from two hooded figures who would offer a sustainable animal blood source. If they refused the offer, they were forced into exile or turned to ash. 

It was a good start to eternity. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates coming every day until it's completed. 
> 
> Comments and Kudos will be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much to all the readers who have joined me on this journey, your support means a lot to me.
> 
> I posted an entire accidental marriage fic last week and you can read it here: [Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24937489/chapters/60357082)
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr: [Succubusphan](http://Succubusphan.tumblr.com/)
> 
> In case you wish to reblog the fic: [Tumblr Link](https://succubusphan.tumblr.com/post/623449408534675456/kiss-from-a-rose-chapter-8-completed)
> 
> Here's the playlist I created to write this fic: [Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/08TZi4eD31sg5BkT0QO00K?si=qTxaJ7uZQ2GyewQvjqEuRA)
> 
> The Promised E rated timestamp will be posted shortly (In one hour) as well as the first chapter of my next fic. 
> 
> The next story Will be angst and grief heavy in the first chapter, it will not be tagged as main character death because it has a 100% happy ending but I will add many warnings. Please, if you have any doubts about reading it, drop me a message. About half of the fic takes place in hell, so I hope those spoilers will be warning enough for you.


End file.
